Natick High School - Sassamon Yearbook (Natick, MA)

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PAGE EIGHTEEN THE SASSAMON Goodness! gracious! Miss Pratt has just thrown a bouquet of flowers on me, which, I think, must be a sure sign that my days are numbered. As I was not made in a 'box' factory, let me not die a 'chatter- box,' but though being made in a 'waste- basket' factory, let me not waste my time in idle soliloquy. I will remain a waste- basket 'till I turn to ashes in the city dump. EDITH NORDSTROM. THE WRECK OF THE HOPEWE.LL As the tramp freighter Hopewell docked at the wharf, at San Francisco, Captain Mayo breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a hard voyage and he was glad it was over. He stood on the bridge with the first mate and the harbor pilot while the Hope- well was docked. He was a young man, only a few years out of a nautical school, and the responsibility had weighed heavily on his mind. The Hopewell was a freak steamer. She was very old and her engines were in bad condition. Twice on the voyage they had been delayed to fix some trifling thing which, if properly repaired, should give no trouble at all. The Hopewell was owned by Mr. Brown, a stingy man, who was unwilling to part from a cent unless it was absolutely necessary. The skipper turned to the chief mate and said, By George! If I don't get some new boilers put into this floating wreck, I'll quit and tell Mr. Brown to go to Blazes! The mate, with a look of disgust on his face, replied, It sure is terrible the way things are going. If the old man don't fix up the old tub before next voyage, some- thing is going to happen. Why! the en- gine room signals are all shot to pieces and the lights and other signals are in terrible condition! The captain said, When I go up to make my report, I want you to go with me, and we'll see if we can persuade him to make some repairs. A few hours later they were ushered into the presence of Mr. Brown, who, after telling them to sit down, said, Well, it took you long enough to make the trip. You are two weeks late. Captain Mayo replied, We were delayed for two weeks off the coast of Chile, fixing the engines. Mr. Brown replied, Now I suppose you have a whole list of things which need re- pairs. I'll tell you this right now, if you expect me to make that ship into a second 'Majestic,' you have got another think com- ing. But, said the first mate, if you don't fix the boilers, she's liable to blow up and the propeller shaft is- Here Mr. Brown interrupted him by say- ing, Get out and shut up or I'll blow you up. You are going to start for Australia two weeks from today witha miscellaneous cargo, and no repairs are to be made be- fore leaving, and I'm going with you. I need a voyage for my health. The two men left the office and returned to the ship. When they got back, the mate said, I'm through. I'll get my junk and clear out and get a new berth. The old man didn't give us a chance to say any- thing. So he's going on the next voyage. I hope the old wreck blows up under,him The Captain said, I think I'1l stick it out for another voyage, because if he has one trip on her, I think he'll be willing to Hx it up. You had better stick and see the fun when anything happens to the en- gines in mid-ocean. By George, I think I'll stick, said the chief mate, and I'll also see that the old tub acts her worst when he is on her. Two weeks later the 'fHopewell left Frisco harbor and carried with her her owner, Mr. Brown, and his wife. Mr. Brown stayed on deck with the officers the first day and enjoyed the air, but during the night a storm came up, and by morning he was feeling very sick. He regained his health too soon to suit the officers for he was always in the way, finding fault with the way things were run on the ship.

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THE SASSAMON PAGE SEVENTEEN He called me Dilly dal1y! said Dottie, and smiled. Oh! he'll never call you that again ! ex- claimed Mr. Peters. He was smiling, too. I assure you that he won't. But return- ing to my subject, are you sure it was twenty minutes past ten? Positive! exclaimed Dottie. I re- member looking at the clock! Dottie was so anxious to assure him of the truth that Mr. Peters could restrain himself no longer. I'll believe you if you'll believe me,', he said, his eyes twinkling a great deal, and then, with a flourish, he drew open the top drawer. There lay the fifty dollars, safe and sound. I found I didn't leave it in the top draw- er after all, explained he, but I had put it in my hat band, when I got it out of the bank, first thing this morning. With that he sat back in his chair and watched Miss Dorothy Welder, who sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed in astonishment. As he finished, she drew a breath of re- lief and rose to go, thanking him the while. It's dinner time, so I might as well take you home, he said, casually looking at his watch. And so it was that Ted, looking very much surprised, saw Dottie actually riding homeswith Mr. Peters! Well, this is a funny world! thought he, and oddly enough what Mr. Peters had said came true, for Ted never called Dot, Dilly Dally any more. LUCJILE NICHOLS. THE SOLILOQUY OF A WASTE-BASKET Before being thrown into discard let me tell you a little of my past life. If I should sound the least bit gloomy please forgive me, but when one has just heard that his doom is nigh, to be cheerful is perhaps not an easy matter. Did I not hear Miss Pratt tell the janitor, this morn- ing, that I had seen my best days and that she's going to ask the School Committee for a new waste-basket? Personally I think Miss Pratt could have been a little bit more considerate of my feelings by not giving vent to such an outburst when she knew right well that I was in the room, un- der her desk, where I've been for the last tell three years. However, I promised to you a little of my past life, did I not? Though so far I have only succeeded in telling you of my grievance. Three years ago a prouder or more beautiful waste-basket than I had never been made. My creator robed me in a beautiful coat of pale green paint and then sent me to a nearby school, where I was given to the teacher, Miss Pratt. How well I remember the ovation that was given me! Taking me ln her hands, Miss Pratt held me up in front of the class and commenced, 'Before you I am holding a beautiful new waste-basket, it being school property, I hope you will all treat it as such. I shall keep it under my desk, and from. now I wish to see a tidy room with no waste paper lying around, for this basket is a receptacle for all waste materi- al, and, I think, an essential to civic pride! After that speech you can imagine my disgust when a big wad of gum was sent down my insides, followed by another and another, 'till I thought everyone in the room must have been chewing gum, any- way, I was getting pretty 'stuck-up.' I can tell you that I had a hard time convinc- ing myself that my purpose in life is rub- bish, and that I was made to be useful, as well as ornamental. Many may think that my life is always sad, but that is not so. For instance, the eighteenth amendment to the Constitution may affect some people, but not me,-no matter what happens, I am always full. 'AI have often been witness to personal matters, some quite thrilling, like love- notes, for instance. As a friend I'll advise you always to tear your notes up into very small pieces, because some people like puz- zles and might use your note for one, if they had the chance. However, I warn you never to tear notes when the teacher is in the room, because the tearing of paper al- ways distracts a teacher's attention from her work, and worse still, makes her suspi- cious of the truth.

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THE SASSAMON PAGE NINETEEN At one time he was being too free with his orders and Captain Mayo, unable to constrain his Wrath, said to him, I am in command of this ship and I'1l do as I please, I won't take any orders from any landlub- ber who has never been on salt water be- fore. You may be owner of this ship, but while she's running between ports under my command, I will do as I think best. While off the coast of Japan, they were struck by another storm. Captain Mayo was on watch at the time, and when he saw the storm coming, he ordered all hands on deck to prepare for the storm. A few minutes later the strong wind struck and the ship rolled over on her star- board side until it seemed that she must tip over, but in a moment or two she came back on an even keel. It was pitch dark, so the captain ordered the men to get out the search-light and flash it in front of the ship. When they tried to turn it on, they found that something was wrong with the connections. While they were trying to fix it, Mr. Brown came rush- ing up to find whether they were going to be drowned or what was going to hap- pen. The skipper returned to the bridge, with the terrified Mr. Brown at his heels. No sooner had he reached the bridge than the lookout up forward shouted, Land ho! Breakers directly ahead on both bows! Captain Mayo reached for the rope which connected with the engine room signal and pulled it. As the second pull something broke, so he couldn't finish the signal. He had intended to ring three, which was the signal for reverse, but as it had brok- en, he had given accidently the signal for full speed ahead. The obliging engineer heard the two bells and accordingly started full speed ahead, not knowing that anything was the matter. He was too obliging and put on so much power that the propeller shaft broke, leaving the ship at the mercy of the wind and waves. Captain Mayo turned to Mr. Brown and said, That's what comes from having rot- ten signals and a cracked propeller shaft. The terrified owner of the ship said, I know! It's all my fault, but what can we do? Can't you drop an anchor? Captain Mayo replied, grimly, I or- dered a new anchor chain before we left, because the old one was broken, but you cancelled the order. The owner then said, in a tone of dis. tress, Well, for Heaven's sake please do something! Send up- some distress sig- nals. You forget, Mr. Brown, said the cap- tain, that you never allowed your ships to carry them, because you thought it wasn't necessary. There is only one thing to do and that is to wait till she strikes, launch the life boats, and make an attempt to land. During all this conversation the doomed ship was drifting towards the treacherous rocks that lay in her path. Mr. Brown, who had become calm in the face of death, said, I realize now that I have made a big mistake. I have sent you out on voyages before at great risk to your lives and now I am to pay the pen- alty. Perhaps it is too late, but, if by any chance the Almighty spares my life, I'll try to make up for what I have done. As he finished speaking, the vessel struck with a terrific crash and almost immediate- ly began to list over on her side. One of the engineers came rushing up to report that a big hole had been smashed in her side and she would fioat only a few minutes. The ship had only four boats and one of these capsized while being lowered, so the remaining three were very crowded. A few minutes after these three left the ship. she sank. The three boats headed for shore and while going through the breakers, two of these were tipped over. The remaining boat reached shore safely and the occu- pants, Captain Mayo, the first mate, assist- ant engineer, four firemen, four sailors and Mr. and Mrs. Brown, got down on their knees and gave thanks to the Lord, for guiding them safely to land.